GREENFIELD — Although she works as a scientist at Elanco, one of Kristi Baker’s favorite things to do is read books at a third-grade level.
The Greenfield woman is among a group of local volunteers who devote 30 minutes a week, two to four times a month, reading to third-graders as part of the ReadUP program at Greenfield-Central schools.
After a months-long hiatus due to COVID, the program resumed Friday, Nov. 13, at Weston Elementary School.
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Baker said she’s blessed to have found an opportunity to give back as a ReadUP volunteer, and to have an employer that supports and encourages community service.
“Something that was important to me was helping the children of our community. I first got started with the ReadUP program 11 years ago, and I’ve loved it ever since,” she said.
“Watching the kids grow between the beginning of school and the end of school, the development is amazing. It’s very easy to see that you’re actually helping someone, and I really like that piece of it,” Baker said.
The ReadUP Program is sanctioned by United Way of Central Indiana. Although the size of the program has diminished somewhat in recent years, local educators are thrilled to see the program return after a long break due to COVID. The program has helped as many as 60 children in previous years.
Megan Thompson, director of elementary education for Greenfield-Central schools, was thrilled to hear United Way would continue funding the program, which is geared toward select students who could benefit from some one-on-one reading time.
She hopes to have students and volunteers lined up to start meeting at J.B. Stephens Elementary soon, while the program will likely resume at Harris Elementary early next year.
Thompson said a full list of safety precautions will be in place to keep students and volunteers safe during their time together. All will be wearing masks and will be separated by a plastic glass divider at a distance greater than 6 feet, and volunteers will answer a self-health screening before entering the school.
Each volunteer is matched with an individual student they meet with throughout the school year.
“The interaction between these tutors and students make an unbelievable impact,” Thompson said. “We know those relationships show up both qualitatively and quantitatively on our test scores.”
Thompson said students chosen for the program are those who educators think can benefit from some extra reading time, particular in a one-on-one setting.
Thompson said United Way has called Greenfield-Central’s ReadUP program “the hallmark exemplary program…. We typically have a huge commitment from both leadership at the buildings and community members who are willing to come in and support it,” she said.
While eight volunteers are resuming the program at Weston Elementary, Thompson said there were 12 to 18 volunteers before COVID brought the program to a halt.
“We’re always interested in getting more volunteers,” she said.
The program has proven to be especially helpful in helping students pass the IREAD-3 exam, a state requirement for all third-graders.
“If a student participates in ReadUP, it typically results in them passing IREAD-3 in the high 90s, almost 100%,” said Thompson.
That’s not to detract from the teachers’ daily commitment in the classroom, she said.
“It’s just that extra layer,” Thompson said. “Teachers would love nothing more than to have a half an hour to sit and work with students one-on-one every day, but they can’t, so they are so thankful for our ReadUP volunteers.”
Thompson said the biggest key to the program’s success is “relationship, relationship, relationship.”
ReadUP is that perfect combination of focused literacy support and one-on-one relationships, she said. “The impact is substantial, and our data shows that.”
Thompson was on a Zoom call where ReadUP students and volunteers were holding a virtual year-end celebration in the spring, after last year’s program abruptly ended when COVID shut down schools in March.
“One of the third-graders on there was just almost in tears. She said, ‘Are you going to have ReadUP next year? Because the second-graders have to have this, because if they don’t have this they might not be able to read like I can now,’” Thomson recalled.
“I was already a big fan of the program, but that really sealed the deal.”
Thompson encourages those who wish to volunteer to contact her. “The only requirements are a background check and a heart for working with kids,” she said.
To learn more about becoming a ReadUP volunteer, contact Thompson at 317-462-4434 or [email protected].
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The ReadUP program in Greenfield-Central schools is seeking volunteer tutors for the program, which ramped up last week. Those who are interested may contact Megan Thompson, G-C’s director of elementary education, at 317-462-4434 or via email at [email protected]. Applicants will have to submit to a background check to be accepted into the program.
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